Overcoat
by Canadino
Summary: Polish AU. The Vargas twins have their own troubles in school, be it from a good-hearted-but-dense boyfriend to a loner-modesty-respecting boy friend.


**Disclaimer: If Axis Powers Hetalia were mine, I wouldn't need to write fanfics. If any of these songs were mine, I wouldn't be writing fanfics.**

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**Minimal fluff 09!**

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Overcoat

It wasn't unusual for her to dream up the perfect rack of meatballs, especially created at her own skilled hands. Topped with cheese and tossed artistically on top of a bed of noodles, why, it was enough to make her feel faint with happiness and…

"Goddamn it, Felicia, open your goddamn eyes and stop eating the pillow!"

"Mmph!" which was supposed to mean "Good morning to you, Romina!" but only came up garbled as Felicia struggled to spit the pillow wad in her mouth out. She had tangled herself up in the bedsheets in the midst of her dream and was still trying to worm her way out. Blinking the sleep from her eyes, Felicia rubbed at them, pretending she didn't know doing so would redden her fresh face. There was still a bite mark in the pillow that hadn't faded.

"I swear," her sister was still shouting above her, her hands on her hips, "if you didn't have the figure to show it, I'd call you a pig in front of everyone at school with the way you eat." Felicia glanced up tiredly, in no mood to pick a fight with her older twin sister and settled with just looking blankly up at her. "Don't look at me like a glassy idiot! Get up! It's time for school!"

"It's Sunday," she mumbled, her fingers reaching up for the sleeping cap she used to keep her hair in place. If it was one thing Felicia prided other than her fabulous skills in the kitchen (and her artistry and her ability to get along with everyone), it was her hair; call her a shallow bitch, but she was still proud of it. Long caramel brown hair that curled almost effortlessly at the shoulders – although smooth and shiny no matter what she did with it. As her glory fell from its confined cap, Romina seemed to get even more agitated.

"Goddammit, you've been saying that the whole week. It's Thursday, you moron. It's time to get up."

Almost like clockwork, the twins' hair was a royal mess every morning – and both had taken different routes to deal with it. While Felicia valued it too much to alter, settling for more uncomfortable means to preserve her locks, Romina had cut them off altogether. Keeping her hair cropped a bit above the shoulders for a freer look, the older Vargas twin didn't bother herself with any sort of clips or other nuisances. But other than the hair, the two looked exactly the same – same mannerisms, same svelte figure, same stubborn pout whenever either of them didn't get their way. Strangely, with different lengths, there was always a little kink to both of the twins' hair – there was just _one_ piece that refused to straighten or flatten with any heat, although both had tried.

"Just get your ass out of bed, Felicia."

"Boo," Felicia replied, sticking her tongue out.

It took both girls at least fifteen minutes to look presentable, and only if they were in a rush and climbed over each other in the bathroom they shared – Felicia reaching past Romina's modest chest (it was thought she never shared with her big sister, the realization that although she was younger by five minutes, she had the bigger chest, hee hee hee) to grapple for her hairbrush while her sister swatted her out of the way to brush her teeth. Somehow, just somehow, they managed to escape the bathroom alive and not tear at each other and leave completely dressed and looking sweet to boot.

This morning, Felicia was carefully applying a scant amount of eyeliner as she noticed through the mirror that Romina was rolling her skirt up, a few sly centimeters past the dress code. Stopping with the pencil poised over her eyes, Felicia grinned, staring at her almost body clone in school uniform. "So Antonio's a thigh man, is that it?"

Romina hit her on the back of the head so hard Felicia almost stabbed herself in the eye with the eyeliner. "What's that supposed to mean, skank?" her sister trilled, her face blooming red. "With that logic, that bastard must be a boob man with the way you always leave at least two buttons out of your shirt."

Felicia bit her lip with mock modesty. "I wouldn't deny that."

Romina growled, hardly the epitome of feminine charm. "I hate that boy, Felicia. I don't know how you could stand him."

"Ludwig's a nice guy!" Felicia insisted, finishing up her process of getting dolled up.

"I hardly think of him as nice when he has his hands on your chest," Romina shot back darkly.

"You know what would be really great?" Felicia suddenly said, leaping back and looping her arm affectionately around her sister's as if the insult to her significant other was utterly unheard. "If we went and got manicures after school today!"

"You are such a _girl_," Romina groaned.

"That I am! Let's get to school!"

--

It wasn't that the dress code wasn't heavily enforced…just that no one could really catch one perpetrator without seeing another break the rules only a few feet away.

"Nice panties, Alfreda," Romina called sarcastically, noting a fellow first year's much-too-short skirt. The blonde, the happy idiot sort, grinned and waved back.

"Thanks, Romina! Arthur was saying the other day that I have no sex appeal and I had to show him he's wrong, you know!" Grinning maniacally, she was practically swimming in the huge, hand-me-down bomber jacket she wore on a daily basis. Her sister, Mattie, was in the other homeroom and thankfully much more conservative that her sister.

"She's so desperate," Romina muttered to Felicia, who was hanging over her arm like a mink wrap.

"I think it's endearing," Felicia giggled.

There was a strange occurrence of twins in the school, but the Vargas ones were different than Alfreda (nicknamed America occasionally for her overzealous enthusiasm) and Mattie, who bore different last names due to a splitting in family affairs. Not to mention the Italian twins were more bonded in the Felicia-with-her-undying-sisterly-love-for-Romina way. And more of the Romina-being-almost-older-brother-protective-of-her-baby-sister kind of thing. No one questioned it, no one bothered.

It would have been a normal day full of Felicia's happy little outbursts and Romina's violent mood swings, but it happened to be something different.

"It's White Day," Romina whispered, sitting in the back of the classroom with her sister so they couldn't be overheard.

"Yeah, I know!" Felicia wasn't going to tell that Ludwig had asked to see her during lunch in the humanities wing (god forbid anyone asked the romanticism in that) for her gift. It would make Romina madder than she was already.

"I wonder if Antonio will remember."

"Yeah, I know, after all…" _He does seem to be in the business of forgetting things. Like remember when he forgot your birthday?_ But Felicia quickly reined in her mouth. Romina would not want to bring this up, even though Antonio was good at heart and _did_ care for her sister…but he was too scatterbrained for his own good, especially if his good lay with the happiness of his girlfriend.

"After all what?"

"After all, you two _are_ going to get married after you graduate!" It was quick and bullshitted, but it seemed to satisfy Romina, who smiled satisfactedly to herself. It was an unspoken rule that should the Antonio/Romina couple get broken up, it was the end of the world; what with Antonio basically pledging his life to her the first time he laid eyes on her and her nearly preventing him from having children as a response (her children, Felicia added immaturely).

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"That…guy. Ludwig." Romina made a face as if she swallowed a mouthful of vinegar. "You two aren't…you know…official. Nor has he made the effort to do so. I swear, if that boy hurts you…"

"Ludwig won't hurt me," Felicia assured. It was true that they weren't officially going out, making them both free on the market, but Felicia liked to think Ludwig was taken. She wasn't going to tell other girls not to like but…

Shredding love letters before Ludwig's eyes could see them was not below her.

Hours of learning passed slothlike, reaching an all time low as Alfreda let out a rather unladylike snore in her seat. When lunch crawled around, Felicia hightailed it out of the classroom before Romina could vent more anxieties about her negligent boyfriend, who had still not shown his face. Sneaking around as if she was undercover, she found her way to the humanities wing, where Ludwig was waiting for her in front of a classroom.

"Hi, Ludwig," Felicia purred, making her voice the sultry tone he liked. His face betrayed no emotion, only the normal stoic expression, as she pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms lazily around his neck. He responded with one arm around her waist while pulling her gift out from behind him.

A pot wouldn't make most girls happy, but Felicia was not most girls.

"How did you know?" she squealed, grabbing the pot and holding over her head like the scepter of doom. "I love it!"

"I only thought that since you said you burned your other pot while making chocolate for me, I would get you one to compensate." He shrugged, trying not to look relieved that all had gone well.

"No way! Cause whenever I taste that remainder of burnt chocolate, I'm reminded of how much I love you!" Felicia grinned despite herself; Ludwig never showed his affection toward her at school, believing in a more professional approach as long as they were in school grounds, but she supposed she should be happy that he liked her enough not to cheat on her. If that meant no one at school had to know they were together, then so be it. …_I think_, Felicia mused, trying to convince herself it was enough.

She was still admiring herself in the gleam of the pot when she saw something white sticking out of Ludwig's pocket. It was dainty and girly and smelled faint of perfume (a cook had to have sensitive senses, obviously!). She reached for it, pulling it out before Ludwig could stop her. "What's this?"

"Ah…that is…I found it in my locker this morning."

She missed it! She had been so preoccupied with coming to school with Romina that she'd forgotten to check his locker for stupid girls' hearts! Her eyes narrowing, Felicia flipped the still sealed envelope in her hands. "Who's it from?"

"I don't know. Some girl."

Felicia resisted the urge to shred it to bits in front of him, her hands tightening on the pot handle. "Whoever it is, you won't return the sediments, will you?" She knew she was putting him on the spot and knew the question already dictated his answer (after all, what boy would give the wrong answer with an angry girl with a pot in front of him?), but she needed to be reassured.

"Of course not. The only girl I gave a White Day gift to was you. I mean, I gave obligatory gifts to be polite, but you were the only one I put effort into." It was Ludwig's way of confessing. Felicia happily tore the love letter up. She must still have looked angry, for he studied her carefully. "You're angry," he said slowly.

"I'm not angry." She smiled her best at him, cocking her head coyly. "Well…I guess I am a little. I don't like girls liking you. Especially since I do. I know they've got all the right to, since you don't think you're in a relationship, but…" Felicia shrugged. "I'm jealous, what can I say?"

Ludwig stared at her. "I'm sorry," he said finally.

"For what? You haven't done anything wrong!"

"No, I haven't, but we're like this and I haven't said we're together. It's something I don't talk about with others." Ludwig had a careful comfort zone Felicia knew not to infringe on. She didn't want to make him uncomfortable if it meant he had to tell the school to stay away since he was taken. She could say anything, but if he didn't agree, then all her claims would be moot. "I know you really want to be official here."

"It's okay," Felicia nodded, used to such realities. The warning bell sounded through the halls. "Oh! Lunch is almost over! I guess I'll see you after school." She looked up. "Um…a parting kiss, maybe?"

Ludwig, who was never forthright with his displays of affection, leaned forward and pressed a quick peck to her mouth, surprising the both of them, and he quickly excused himself over the gathering of courage. Felicia floated all the way back to the classroom.

She felt her feet smack against the hard floor again when she saw Romina, sitting with her head down in the back of the classroom. When she poked her sister to make sure she was awake, she was startled to see Romina's eyes were red.

"What happened?" Felicia cried.

"Nothing! Mind your own business!"

"But…but…but…" Felicia saw out of the corner of her eye, Elizavita, the school gossip, who was fringing at the door and was waving at her. Abandoning her sister to wallow in depression, Felicia walked up to the second year, still holding her pot.

"Oh, is your choice of weapon a pot? Mine's a frying pan! But cut to the chase, I know you're dying to know what happened. I'm trying to gather up details myself. But, apparently, and I _definitely_ wasn't listening in the air vents, but your sister went to talk to Antonio and she'd asked him what day it was and he said it was Thursday. After it was quite clear he didn't know the right answer, she slapped him and ran off in tears. That boy! I swear, he needs to read the atmosphere. He's such a nice boy, he shouldn't be this way!" Shaking her head as if speaking about a disability, Elizavita nodded at Romina. "Well, some of us are trying to clue him in without telling him, but work on your sister, won't you? I don't think she's ready to forgive him just yet."

"Oh, Romina," Felicia sighed, turning to her sister. Looking at her, she couldn't see how her troubles with Ludwig could be of any importance. Her sister looked utterly shattered. Personally, Felicia never knew how Antonio could dig his way out of the holes he put himself in, but he always found some sort of way. Somehow.

…Somehow?

--

"I hate him. I'll never speak to him again." Felicia had heard all this before and didn't feel too concerned. Romina always cursed Antonio's name afterwards, but Felicia would never tell she heard her cry at night. Honestly, if Antonio didn't always mean well, he would have definitely heard from the wrath of Felicia Vargas! That, and Romina saw any finger on Antonio that wasn't her own as a threat and would rip anyone's eyes out. Felicia watched as her sister sulked all the way home and even to her room, where she slammed the door and wouldn't let her sister in.

"Antonio," Felicia sighed frustrated, running a hand through her hair. "You dumb, dumb boy."

Just then, a little ring came from Romina's abandoned bookbag, abandoned at the door through the girl's anguish. The vibrations didn't stop and Felicia investigated, slipping her hand into the pocket to find a cell phone, flashing with _Antonio (that bastard)_ as the caller ID. She flipped it open. "_Ciao_, Antonio, but I don't think Romina wants to talk to you right now."

"Felicia? Hi. Is she still that upset?" Felicia nodded, oblivious that Antonio wouldn't hear that. "What can I do? I totally forgot it was White Day! No one tells me these things! I've tried to apologize to her, but she's been avoiding me. I didn't mean to snub her, you know! I love your sister very much, you know!"

_Indeed_, Felicia thought sarcastically. Anyone who could put up with Romina's mood swings and violence had to have too much love to deal. "I know, but try telling her that."

"What should I do? I really am sorry." There was genuine apology that not even digital transmissions could take away. Felicia felt almost sorry for him; anyone could see he was very distraught over the issue, like he always was, and only one as stubborn as Romina would refuse to acknowledge it. Ah, her sister always had high expectations and Antonio was doing his best to work up to her standards.

"Show her then." Felicia shouldered the phone as he got herself a spoonful of gelato.

"I know. I'll do my best." There was a pause. "If she _does_ listen, tell her I really am sorry. And since she'd want me to notice things like this, she smelled really sweet today." Felicia almost choked on the gelato with a suppressed giggle. Antonio was sort of charmingly creepy that way.

"Alright."

Romina emerged from their room later that evening, looking rumpled and all cried out. "I am _over_ him," she insisted as Felicia shifted aside on the couch so she could sit. "I won't take his shit anymore."

"Of course not," Felicia agreed, after learning the hard way that rebuking this would earn more tears and more angst. And anyway, Antonio was her sister's greatest weakness. It would blow over by morning.

--

It was as Felicia predicted. As the homeroom teacher was getting ready to make morning announcements, the public announcement speaker fizzled to life.

"_Wait,_ Francis, is this on? I swear, I don't know how to work these damn gadgets. It's on? It is? You're fucking with me. No! I hear myself! HELLO! Okay, I don't need to shout."

The school cringed as the voice of well-known second year Gilbert the Awesome (nickname conned by himself) echoed through the hallways. There could be no mistaking the cocky tone.

"Hello all. I'm Gilbert, known embodiment of awesome, and I'm here to make a public announcement. Duh. I'm using the public announcement box thing. Duh. Anyway, I'm here to say a few things. First, I am awesome. Seriously. I am. Have you seen me? I'm that awesome albino second year. Yeah, I know. I'm cool. Too cool for school!" There was a yelp and Francis's muffled voice telling him to stay on topic. "But anyway, really. This is for Romina Vargas. Romina, can you hear me? Is she even here today? …oh yeah, I see her name on the attendance list now. Anyway, Romina! My idiot friend Antonio would like to apologize. Profusely. Seriously, take him back. He's been moping at me for too long. Why don't you just put him out of his misery and go out with me? I keep telling you he doesn't appreciate you. What? He can hear me? Just joking, Antonio! Ha, ha. So! Romina! Please direct your attention outside."

There was a general sound of shuffling seats as Romina made her way to the window and the whole student body followed. Antonio was standing by himself outside the window, on the track field, tapping the microphone in front of him; he was surrounded by two amps and had a guitar strapped across his chest.

_No way_, Felicia almost laughed. Antonio was about to serenade his sister in front of the whole school?

"Hello, student body, but most importantly, Romina Vargas." Antonio stared up at the various windows, looking quite small by himself. "I knew you wouldn't listen any other way, so I guess I'll just have to sing my apology to you." It was a known fact that Antonio had a good voice, although he barely put it to good use parading around with his friends Gilbert and Francis.

As all the female student population held their sighs of adoration in (if one so much leaked out a breath, Romina would find her immediately and tear her hair out) as Antonio's voice filled the grounds, Felicia already knew he could consider himself forgiven, what with that no-I-am-not-going-to-forgive-you-that-easily-but-everyone-can-see-I-will look on her sister's face.

When the serenade was done and Antonio had to run from the grounds guards and Romina returned to her seat with a furious flush, the PA system creaked again. "H_ell_o I'm not done yet! As per request of my not-so-spiffy brother Ludwig, I have an additional announcement. Man, you Vargas twins, just the center of attention, aren't you? Felicia! Well, this doesn't really mention your name, but for the whole school's information, my little kid brother is off the market. I mean, duh, if you haven't noticed already, he's already macking with Felicia Vargas. Hold your grudges, girls. If you're feeling particularly down, _I'm_ always here to comfort you. Francis! Hold the door! Don't let him back in! No!"

After sporting matching blushes for a good fifteen minutes, life returned somewhat to normal, although Gilbert was hailed king of awesome during lunch (he neglected to mention he had been suspended first, before having his sentence lessened to several detentions after Antonio owned up to his reckless behavior schemes). Felicia looked through the cafeteria doors to see Romina in her rightful place on Antonio's lap, and the two were going at each other quite viciously, his sister's skirt hitched high as she tethered herself with her arms around his neck as he ravished her in plain view of the entire populace.

"Felicia." Felicia looked up and smiled gracefully, stepping into Ludwig's space and allowing herself to be led down to the cubby room.

"What was this morning all about?" she asked as she snaked her arms around his neck as he gently pressed her against the wall of cubbies, reluctantly showing the side he only exhibited in private. "I know Antonio was the mastermind of this scheme, but Gilbert added that last bit."

"Well." Ludwig shrugged lightly. "I heard he was planning on jacking announcements, so I thought…it would be a more adequate White Day gift for you than just a pot. To show I'm serious about you. In case you didn't know."

"I knew," Felicia whispered, bringing herself up to meet his lips. "And it was more than adequate. You know I love you."

They were too preoccupied to hear Alfreda scream down the hall, "Arthur! You always make student council announcements! Why can't you pull a Gilbert!" And quite frankly, no one really cared.

Owari

--

Note: Because I am in serious LOVE with my Polish AU. This is not the end. I made the mistake of writing country names in my Polish fic, but no more. And Alfreda is a real name. I looked it up in the dictionary, which is the bible of all writers. But it exists. Mattie is short for Matilda, which the dictionary also said had the nickname Matty, although he doesn't seem like a Matilda. So, Mattie. Oh, and I know all those feminine forms for Romano, which include Lovina, but come on. Romina just sounds so better. And Feliciano. I'm surprised I only since noticed this. Antonio is a bastard, but we love him anyway. And I love writing Italy fluff. Because I'm a sucker for Italy fluff. Review, please. Happy Holidays!


End file.
